Building-block



A. H. CARRIER.

BUILDING BLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED MAY31. 1917.

1,386,314. Patented g 2,- 1921.

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A. H CARRIER.

BUILDING BLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED IIAY 31. 19w.

1,386,314. Patented g- 2, 1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT n. cmma, or ASHEVILLE, NORTH caaonnu, essrenoa or ONE-HALF 'IO EDWIN W. GROVE, 0] ST. LOUIS,

MISSOURI.

BUILDING-BLOCK.

a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanymg drawings,

forming a part of this specification.

M invention relates to improvements in building blocks, the main objects being to provide a simple and relatively inexpensive means for producing a strong, neat and ornamental architectural structure.

Heretofore, ornamental structures have been built by. using extra thick layers of mortar between bricks and leaving unusually wide recesses in front of the mortar. For example, the layers of mortar have been I three-fourths of an inch thick, and long layers of mortar, and without sticks of wood have'been temporarily arranged in front of the mortar between the bricks to prevent the mortar from flowing to the front margins of the bricks. This method is known as sticking and it is followed to produce an artistic brick structure having thick layers of mortar and wide spaces in'front of the mortar. The use of mortar three-fourths of an inch thick is both diificult and expensive. The relatively large body of mortar must be applied carefully, the bricks tend to settle, and the work must rogress slowly to allow the mortar to set. Therefore, one of the objects of my invention is to obtain the artistic or ornamental results, without using the extra thick using the long wooden sticks between the bricks. I preferably apply the mortar in layers about threeeighths of aninch thick, for this results in a more firm and substantial structure than is produced by the use of the three-fourths inch layers, and to provide the extra wide spaces in front of the mortar, the front margins of the bricks or blocks are recessed, as will be hereinafter pointed out.

Another object is to produce a strong, inexpensive and ornamental imitation brick structure. This is accomplished by the use of a block resembling a number of bricks, and one of the important features of novelty lies in the peculiar manner in which'the ends of the block are stepped to imitate extended bricks. By constructing the blocks as here- Speotflcatlon of Letters latent.

Application filed May 31,

Patented Aug. 2, 1921. 1917. Serial No. 172,038.

1n shown, symmetrical and artistic courses of bricks are roduced, the structure being an almost per ect imitation of bricks, for the reason that the stepped end portions of the blocks represent complete bricks, instead of resembhng broken or short bricks. If the ends of the blocks were straight, the structure would be a very imperfect imitation of a b r1c .k wall. In addition to producing an artistic wall with any desired arrangement of headers and stretchers, the stepped blocks lap each other so as to produce a very strong structure. Furthermore, the desired orna-' mental appearance can be obtained by arranging the blocks one above the other, in vertlcal rows so as to produce absolutely vertical columns, and these columns may be hollow to provide vertical air spaces.

With the foregoing and other objects in viewthe lnvention comprises the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more specifically described and lllustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention, however, it is to be understood that the invention comprehends changes, variations and modifications which come within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

Figure I is a side elevation, partly in sect1on, illustrating a portion of a wall constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. II is a perspective viewof one of the ste ped blocks shown in Fi 1g. III is a perspective v1ew of one of the corner blocks shown in Fig. I.

Fig. IV is a fragmentary view illustrating a modification. I

The structure shown in Fi I, II and III comprises corner blocks 1%? intermediate blocks B, and blocks C adapted to be used at window openings. Each of these blocks is provided with horizontal and vertical grooves designated 1 and 2 respectively, imitating the mortar receiving spaces between 'the 100 imitation bricks 3. The blocks are all provided with stepped ends imitating extended bricks, and 'the horizontal faces of these stepped ends are in alinement with the horizontal grooves 1. Each intermediate block 105 Owing to the manner in which the upright and inverted steps are formed at opposite ends of each block, the horizontal length of each block is substantially uniform throughout the height of the block. To most effectively accomplish the desirable results herein pointed out, the horizontal bottom faces of the inverted steps and the horizontal top faces of the upright steps must be in alinement with the horizontal grooves 1, and each of said horizontal top faces must be in a horizontal plane lower than the horizontal bottom face at the opposite end of the horizontal groove. It will also be observed that each block is provided with a recessed front marginal portion 4, forming abrupt shoulders at the front edges of the mortar receiving surfaces. In the structure shown in Figs. I and III the marginal recesses or shoulders 4 are formed at the top, bottom and end margins of the blocks. The blocks may be made of concrete, terra cotta, or other suitable material, and all of the elements of each block are preferably formed by molding such material to form a single block. In other words, the projecting brick elements 3 are preferably formed integral with the block, instead of being made b the use of separate inserts.

By forming the stepped blocks, as herein shown, they will overlap each other so as to produce a very substantial structure. The blocks may be arranged one above the other to form absolutely vertical columns, as shown in Fig. I. The inverted steps of each block are in vertical alinement with the other inverted steps in the same column, and the upright steps of each vertical column are interposed between inverted steps of an ad joining column. The blocks are preferably hollow to provide vertical air spaces 5,6 and 7, and vertical webs 8 between these air spaces. The webs 8 cooperate with each other to form a series of vertical webs which extend from the top to the bottom of the structure. These webs are well adapted to withstand and support the load to which they are subjected. Recesses 9, formed on the horizontal faces ,of some of the steps, communicate with the vertical spaces 6 and serve as drains for preventing water from seeping through the wall.

It is important to note that the stepped end portions of the blocks form continuations of the imitation bricks, and that the bricks are arranged symmetrically throughout the wall, instead of being shortened or lengthened, at the ends of the blocks. By constructing the blocks in this manner, an almost perfect imitation of any desired bond can be obtained. For example, the English or block bond can be obtained by forming the headers and stretchers, as shown in Figs. I, II and III. It is somewhat expensive to erect an ordinary brick wall having a bondof thi kind, but the desired appearance can be easily obtained at a low cost by the use of my improved blocks, and the finished structure Wlll. be stronger than the ordinary brick wall. Furthermore, the desirable wide recesses or grooves can be formed between the brick members 3, without the use of thick layers of mortar, and without resorting to the old method known as sticking. The mortar may be applied around the top, bottom and end edges of the blocks, as shown in Fig. I, but it is only necessary to use the desired thin layers of mortar, the additional space between the bricks 3 being obtained by forming the shoulders 4 near the mortar receivin surfaces. In Fi I, the mortar is shaded for the purpose of lllustration, but it will not appear so prominently in an acutal structure. If desired, the vertical walls of the recesses or grooves between the brick elements 3, can be easily painted, and the structure will then'appear almost exactly like a wall made of small brick.

Fig. IV illustrates a modification wherein each block represents two bricks, all of the brick members 10 being arranged to imitate stretchers. Each of the blocks shown in Fig. IV is provided with a horizontal groove 1 between the brick members, and stepped ends having horizontal faces in alinement with said grooves. The front marginal portion of each of these blocks is recessed to form abrupt shoulders 4 adjacent to the mortar receiving faces. The object in forming shoulders or recesses of this kind has already been pointed out.

I claim 1. In an imitation brick structure, horizontal rows of building blocks each comprising a single block of material having in its front face horizontal and vertical grooves imitating the mortar receiving spaces between bricks, said block also having oppositely disposed stepped ends imitating extended bricks, only one of said stepped ends being in the form of inverted steps, the horizontal bottom faces of the inverted steps and the horizontal top faces of the upright steps being in alinement with said horizon- 1 tal grooves, said horizontal top and-bottom faces being formed at opposite ends of the horizontal grooves, and each of said horizontal top faces being in a horizontal plane lower than the horizontal bottom face of the inverted step at the opposite end of the horizontal groove.

2. In an imitation brick structure, horizontal rows of building blocks each comprising a single block of material having in its front face horizontal and vertical grooves imitating the mortar receiving spaces between bricks, said block also having oppositely disposed stepped ends imitating extended bricks,only one of said'stepped ends being in the form of inverted steps, the horizontal bottom faces of the inverted steps and the horizontal top faces of the upright steps being in alinement with said horizontal grooves, said horizontal top and bottom faces being formed at opposite ends of the horizontal grooves and each of said horizontal top faces being in a horizontal plane lower than the horizontal bottom face of the inverted step at the opposite end of the horizontal groove, said blocks being in vertical alinement to provide straight vertical columns, the inverted steps of each block being in vertical alinement with the other inverted steps in the same column, and the upright steps of each vertical column being interposed between the inverted steps of an adjoining column.

3. A hollow building block comprising a single block of material having in its front face horizontal and vertical grooves imitating the mortar receiving spaces between bricks, said block also having oppositely disposed stepped ends imitating extended bricks, only one of said stepped ends being in the form of inverted steps so that the length of the block, measured horizontally from one stepped end to the other, is substantially uniform throughout the height of the block; one of the horizontal margins of the front face of the block and the stepped end margins being recessed to provide front marginal shoulders at a right angle to the adjacent mortar receiving surfaces, and the horizontal top face of one of the steps being provided with an inclined drainage passageway communicating with the interior of the hollow block.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I hereunto afiix my signature.

ALBERT H. CARRIER. 

